Review: McFly, York Barbican Centre (From York Press)

Review: McFly, York Barbican Centre

11:48am Thursday 19th April 2012 in Music news and reviews

MUSICALLY, 2011 may have been a quiet year for McFly – they didn’t release any new material – but with Harry waltzing his way to the Strictly title and Dougie being crowned King of The Jungle on Celebrity, they have been back in the public eye again.

It was no surprise that the Keep Calm And Play Louder tour was announced shortly after these TV shows ended.

I arrived at the Barbican Centre for the sell-out gig with my ten-year-old son Elliot, expecting hordes of screaming teenagers, but was amazed to see a crowd of all ages from seven to seventy. I blended in better than I thought I would in my skinny jeans.

First up were York band The Pauper Kings (brothers Arthur, Henry and Jack Bird, Milo Mitchinson and Nick Miller) who opened the show after winning a national competition.

I’d seen them a week previously playing at a party, but this was something else. They came to life on the big stage.

They played four tracks, three of their own and an excellent version of Queen’s Fat Botttomed Girls and the crowd loved them. They’ve got what it takes to make it big – the image, stage presence, confidence and energy, and they already have a following.

Next up was Indie band Fuze, who shouted and screamed through a similar amount of tracks, but failed to really move the crowd.

I guessed McFly would soon be on stage when YMCA was played and everyone got overexcited doing the actions, except for me. I felt like leaving. Then a scream like I’d never heard before went up and McFly burst on to the stage, belting out Nowhere To Run. Cheeky lead singer Danny Jones slid down the microphone to the floor and I knew it was going to be a good night. By track three, Star Girl, the crowd was going crazy. The band’s energy was astonishing... they must live on Red Bull.

A microphone is lowered from the ceiling as new song Red is launched. This was instantly well received, with what appeared to be knickers flying through the air.

Old favourites such as All About You, Touch The Rain, No Worries, Five Colours In Her Hair and Don’t Stop Me Now had the crowd on their feet. A medley which included Everybody Knows, Living On A Prayer, What Makes You Beautiful and Somebody I Used To Know also proved that these guys can sing anything.

The final song, Shine A Light, ended the night on a passionate high – it brought the house down and there was hardly a person left in their seat. For one night only, York rocked. The tour name was Keep Calm And Play Louder – it wasn’t calm, but was it LOUD. My ears are still ringing.

McFly wing their way to York Racecourse in July... make sure you see them.

• The Pauper Kings are playing The Crescent Workingmen’s Club, York, on June 8.

Review by Jayne Ritchie